ELYOT Steps Carefully on to the Terrace Carrying a Tray Upon Which Are Two Champagne Cocktails

MC 2/16 PRIVATE LIVES ELYOT & AMANDA Page 1 of 5

ELYOT steps carefully on to the terrace carrying a tray upon which are two champagne cocktails

ELYOT: Calling Sybil. [He puts the tray down on the table] Hurry.

ELYOT saunters down to the balustrade. He looks up at the moon and sighs, then he sits down us a chair with his back towards the line of tubs, and lights a cigarette, AMANDA steps gingerly on to her terrace carrying a tray with two champagne cocktails on it. She places the tray carefully on the table, and sits down with her back towards ELYOT. She takes a small mirror from her handbag, and scrutinizes her face in it. The orchestra downstairs strikes up a new melody. Both ELYOT and AMANDA give a little start. After a moment, ELYOT pensively begins to hum the tune the band is playing. AMANDA hears him, and clutches at her throat suddenly as though she were suffocating. Then she jumps up noiselessly, and peers over the line of tubs. ELYOT, with his back to her, continues to sing obliviously. She sits down again, relaxing with a gesture almost of despair she takes up the melody herself, clearly. ELYOT stops dead and gives a gasp, then he jumps up, and stands looking at her. She continues to sing, pretending not to know that he is there. At the end of the song, she turns slowly, and faces him.

AMANDA: Thoughtful of them to play that, wasn't it?

ELYOT [in a stifled voice]: What are you doing here?

AMANDA: I'm on honeymoon.

ELYOT: How interesting, so am I.

AMANDA: I hope you're enjoying it.

ELYOT: It hasn't started yet.

AMANDA: Neither has mine.

ELYOT: Oh, my God!

AMANDA: I can't help feeling that this is a little unfortunate.

ELYOT: Are you happy?

AMANDA: Perfectly,

ELYOT: Good. That's all right, then, isn't it?

AMANDA: Are you?

ELYOT: Ecstatically.

AMANDA: I'm delighted to hear it. We shall probably meet again sometime. Au revoir! [She turns.]

ELYOT [firmly]: Good-bye. [He lights a cigarette, obviously trying to control his nerves. …. Amanda sees him, and comes down too.]

AMANDA: Give me one for God's sake.

ELYOT [hands her his case laconically]: Here.

AMANDA [taking a cigarette]: I'm in such a rage.

ELYOT [lighting up]: So am I.

AMANDA: What are we to do?

ELYOT: I don't know.

AMANDA: Whose yacht is that?

ELYOT: The Duke of Westminster's I expect. It always is.

AMANDA: I wish I were on it.

ELYOT: I wish you were too. Nothing's any use. There's no escape, ever.

AMANDA: Don't be melodramatic.

ELYOT: Do you want a cocktail? There are two here.

AMANDA: There are two over here as well.

ELYOT: We'll have my two first. [AMANDA crosses over into ELYOT'S part of the terrace, He gives her one, and keeps one himself.]

AMANDA; Shall we get roaring screaming drunk?

ELYOT: I don't think that would help, we did it once before and it was a dismal failure.

AMANDA: It was lovely at the beginning.

ELYOT: You have an immoral memory, Amanda. Here's to you.

[They raise their glasses solemnly and drink.]

ELYOT: What's his name.

AMANDA: Victor, Victor Prynne.

ELYOT [toasting]: Mr. and Mrs. Victor Prynne. [He drinks]

AMANDA: What's her name?

ELYOT: Sibyl.

AMANDA [toasting]: Mr. and Mrs. Elyot Chase. [She drinks] God pity the poor girl.

ELYOT: Are you in love with him?

AMANDA: Of course.

ELYOT: How funny.

AMANDA: I don't see anything particularly funny about it; you're in love with yours aren't you?

ELYOT: Certainly.

AMANDA: There you are then.

ELYOT: There we both are then.

AMANDA: What's she like?

ELYOT: Fair, very pretty, plays the piano beautifully.

AMANDA: Very comforting.

ELYOT: How's yours?

AMANDA: I don't want to discuss him.

ELYOT: Well, it doesn't matter, he'll probably come popping out in a minute and I shall see for myself.

ELYOT: That's going to make things a whole lot easier.

AMANDA: You needn't be frightened; he won't hurt you.

ELYOT: If he comes near me I'll scream the place down.

ELYOT: It really is awfully difficult.

AMANDA: Have you known her long?

ELYOT: About four months, we met in a house party in Norfolk.

AMANDA: Very flat, Norfolk.

ELYOT: How old is dear Victor?

AMANDA: Thirty-four, or five; and Sibyl?

ELYOT: I blush to tell you; only twenty-three.

AMANDA: You've gone a mucker alright.

ELYOT: I shall reserve my opinion of your choice until I've met dear Victor.

AMANDA: I wish you wouldn't go on calling him "Dear Victor." It's extremely irritating.

ELYOT: That's how I see him. Dumpy, and fair, and very considerate, with glasses. Dear Victor.

AMANDA: As I said before I would rather not discuss him. At least I have good taste enough to refrain from making cheap gibes at Sibyl.

ELYOT: You said Norfolk was flat.

AMANDA: That was no reflection on her, unless she made it flatter.

ELYOT: Your voice takes on an acid quality whenever you mention her name.

AMANDA: Never mention it again.

ELYOT: Good, and I'll keep off Victor.

AMANDA [with dignity]: Thank you.

[There is silence for a moment. The orchestra starts playing the same tune that they were singing previously.]

ELYOT: That orchestra has a remarkably small repertoire.

AMANDA: They don't seem to know anything but this, do they?

[She sits down on the balustrade, and sings it, softly. Her eyes are looking out to sea, and her mind is far away. ELYOT watches her while she sings. When she turns to him at the end, there are tears in her eyes

AMANDA: Extraordinary how potent cheap music is.

ELYOT: What exactly were you remembering at that moment?

AMANDA:Waking up m the morning, and standing on the balcony, looking out across the valley

ELYOT: Blue shadows on white snow, cleanness beyond belief, high above everything in the world. How beautiful it was.

AMANDA: It's nice to think we had a few marvelous moments.

ELYOT: A few; We had heaps really, only they slip away into the background, and one only remembers the bad ones.

AMANDA: Yes. What fools we were to ruin it all. What utter, utter fools.

ELYOT: You feel like that too, do you?

AMANDA [wearily]: Of course.

And yet here we are starting afresh with two quite different people. In love all over again, aren't we? [ELYOT doesn't answer] Aren't we?

ELYOT: No.

AMANDA: Elyot,

ELYOT: We're not in love all over again, and you know it. Good night, Amanda. [He turns abruptly, and goes towards the French windows.]

AMANDA: Elyot-don't be silly—come back.

ELYOT: it's shameful, shameful of us.

AMANDA: Don't: I feel terrible. Don't leave me for a minute, I shall go mad if you do. We won't talk about ourselves any more; we'll talk about outside things, anything you like, only just don't leave me until I've pulled myself together.

[There is a dead silence.]

AMANDA: What have you been doing lately? During these last years?

ELYOT: Travelling about. I went round the world you know after …

AMANDA [hurriedly]: Yes, yes, I know. How was it?

ELYOT: The world?

AMANDA: Yes.

ELYOT: Oh, highly enjoyable.

AMANDA: The Taj Mahal. How was the Taj Mahal?

ELYOT: Unbelievable, a sort of dream.

AMANDA: That was the moonlight, I expect; you must have seen it in the moonlight.

ELYOT [never taking his eyes off her face]: Yes, moonlight is cruelly deceptive.

AMANDA: And it didn't look like a biscuit box did it? I've always felt that it might.

ELYOT [quietly]: Darling, darling, I love you so.

AMANDA: And I do hope you met a sacred elephant. They're lint white I believe, and very, very sweet.

ELYOT: I've never loved anyone else for an instant.

AMANDA [raising her hand feebly in protest]: No, no, you mustn't — Elyot — stop.

ELYOT: You love me, too, don't you? There's no doubt about it anywhere, is there?

AMANDA: No, no doubt anywhere.

ELYOT: More than any desire anywhere, deep down in my deepest heart I want you back again—please-

AMANDA: Don't say any more; you're making me cry so dreadfully.

[He pulls her gently into his arms and they stand silently, completely oblivious to everything but the moment, and each other.]